Excerpt & #Giveaway: Rising Tide: Dark Innocence by Claudette Melanson

It was too late then… He was ringing the doorbell. He looked so much braver than I felt. I could see the anger that had crept back into him in the hard set of his lips, the flash in his dark eyes.

Caelyn had torn the door open immediately, anxiety all over her face. She looked at Ron, dumbfounded. She must have then caught sight of some part of me, because she instantly peered around his shoulder to find me standing meekly behind him, clad only in a boy’s shirt that just barely cleared my hips.

“Maura?! What the…” Her eyes fairly popped with dismayed astonishment.

“Hi, Mom.” What an asinine thing to say. I should have at least started with “I’m okay.”

Caelyn just stood there with her mouth hanging open. I felt the fear turn over, like a living thing in my stomach. How was I going to survive our confrontation? How could I even begin to explain everything that had happened that night?

Luckily, I had Ron. “Hi, um, Ms. DeLuca.” He started out sounding very shy, but as my mother’s brows furrowed closer together, he put a stronger edge to his voice. “I came to bring Maura home.” She was still scowling.

“Um…I’m Ron by the way.” He put his hand out to her. She ignored that entirely.

My mother’s glare was venomous. “Maura! Get in the house this instant!”

Oh boy… She thought Ron was at fault for whatever imagined atrocities were going through her brain right at the moment.

“Mom!” I was desperate to put everything right, despite how much trouble I knew I’d be in. “You have it all wrong!”

“I said GET IN THE HOUSE!” she screamed at me, absolute fury flying from her eyes. I’d never seen her so angry before, and I was terrified. “Do I need to ask you again?”

“N-n-no ma’am,” I stuttered. I hurried past Ron, but not without looking up at him with apology in my eyes. I felt horrible for his being put in the middle, just because he’d happened to save my life.

Once inside, I steeled myself for another attempt at speaking to my mother. “Mom, will you please just let me…”

“Don’t say anything, Maura.” Her voice shook. “Do you have any idea what you’ve put me through tonight?”

I was confused then. Did she want me to stay quiet or answer her question?

Ron saved me again. “I think I can explain.” He took a tentative step onto the living room carpet.

I didn’t like the way Caelyn’s head snapped around when she looked at him. “What was your name again?” she asked viciously.

I saw him swallow hard as he answered, “Ron.”

She turned on him then. “Well, Ron!” It sounded like she’d chewed on his name before spitting the one syllable out. “Do you mind telling me why it is you’re out with my daughter when she’s supposed to be with Katie Parker?  And after you’ve answered that, I’d really love to know why you would bring her home wearing only that!!” She pointed the index finger of her shaking hand at me, standing on the plush blue carpet next to our couch, holding onto its arm for support, my knees knocking together.

Ron went a little pale… I couldn’t stand to see my hero wrongly accused.

“Mom! Listen to me! If-if it weren’t for him, for Ron…Mom, I’d be dead right now!” I shouted all the words out quickly before she had a chance to silence me again.

Young Adult/Paranormal Romance/Mystery

Date Published: Feb 18, 2014

Publisher: Ingramspark

Purchase Links

*FREE*

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

iBooks

2015 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Winner for YA Mystery

2015 RONE Award Finalist for YA Paranormal

2015 New Apple Top Medalist for Young Adult Ebook

Chosen as one of 400 for the second round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award for 2014!!!

Rising Tide will sink its fangs into you, keeping you awake into the wee hours of the night

Could Maura's life get any worse? ...turns out it most certainly can.

Isolated and sheltered by her lonely mother, Maura's never been able to make friends. She seems to drive her classmates away—except for the odd times they pay enough attention to torture her—but she doesn’t understand why. Maura considers herself to be a freak of nature, with her unusually pale skin and an aversion to the sun that renders her violently nauseous. Her belief is only worsened by the fact that almost everyone around her keeps their distance.

Even her own father deserted her before she was born, leaving Maura alone with her emotionally distant mother, Caelyn. Even though Maura is desperate for answers about her unknown parent, Caelyn remains heartbroken and her daughter can’t bring herself to reopen her mother’s wounds. Or is there a more sinister reason Caelyn refuses to utter a word about her long-lost love?

When a cruel prank nearly claims Maura’s life, one of her classmates, Ron, rushes to her rescue. Darkly handsome & mysteriously accepting, Ron doesn’t seem to want to stay away, but Maura is reluctant to get too close, since her mother has announced she’s moving the two of them to Vancouver…nearly 3,000 miles away from their hometown of Indiana, Pennsylvania.

If life wasn’t already challenging enough, Maura begins to experience bizarre, physical changes her mother seems hell bent on ignoring, compelling Maura to fear for her own life. Vicious nightmares, blood cravings, failing health and the heart-shattering loss of Ron—as well as the discovery of a tangled web of her own mother's lies—become obstacles in Maura's desperate quest for the unfathomable truth she was never prepared to uncover.

About the Author

Claudette Melanson writes dark fantasy in Kitchener, Ontario with four bun babies: Tegan, Pepper, Butters & Beckett. She graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a BA in English, BS in English Education and an MA in Literature. Harboring a deep admiration of vampires since the age of five left her with the desire to eventually become one, and now fuels the creation of her favorite paranormal characters. She hopes to one day work full time as an author, since there are many, many stories playing out inside her head.

In her very scant spare time, she enjoys watching Japanese Anime and reading vampire stories...along with other genres of great fiction, as well as riding every roller coaster she encounters in both her hometown and away at signings. An advocate for good health and ketogenic eating, her favorite foods are bulletproof coffee, cashew-flour crust pizza and treats made with xylitol and almond, coconut or cashew flours.

Future dreams include a cabin boasting a roaring fire, isolated inside a snow-filled wood in the Yukon—the perfect writing spot—and the completion of dozens of future novels and stories. A Rabbit Rescue fanatic and loving bunmom, she also hopes to help rescues all over the world save many innocent lives.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Pinterest

Goodreads

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Kathryn Long, author of A Bride, A Groom, and Happily Never After

Cozy Mystery

Date Published: APRIL 18, 2017

Purchase Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

iBooks

It’s wedding bell blues and disaster when murder comes to the Paulmona Winery and Villa. Mystery author and part time snoop, Lilly Millenovanovich is the unlucky bride-to-be, but she gladly exchanges her wedding dress for gumshoes and brushes off her bag of spy tricks to solve the crime. After all, family obligation takes priority. Lilly and her zany trio of elderly aunties, must do their part to prove Cousin Mona didn’t kill groomsman Lenny Brioli with a corkscrew wine opener. Trouble is, the evidence keeps pointing in one direction with Mona as murder suspect number one. Detective Grezzo has his sleuthing hands full while handling the case on his own. Jake Kline, Lilly’s fiancé, obviously can’t work the case since Lenny is his best friend. That is, until Lilly convinces him to join her and snoop on the sly. Mona’s life and happiness depends on it. Will it be happily never after for the unlucky couple? Or can Lilly save the date and her wedding dress for another day? It’s a murderous and crazy adventure in this fourth and final episode of the Lilly M Mysteries.

Interview with Kathryn Long, author of A Bride, A Groom, and Happily Never After.

Hi! Would you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hello! So very glad to be here. And thank you for inviting me. J I’m a retired school teacher, and now, spend most of my days writing. I devour mystery novels and love chocolate, often indulging in both of those simultaneously. Lol. I recently became a grandparent and live the quiet life with my husband and pooch, Max. NCIS, The Catch, Big Band Theory, and Life in Pieces are a few of my favorite programs. I really miss Castle, though. Beach vacations are the best. Someday I’d love to visit the French Riviera, drink wine, and eat cheese.

Do you write an outline before starting a book or just write?

First I compose a rather jumbled, rambling synopsis of the story idea. Yeah, it’s really a mess, one I alone could decipher. Then, I take that and by some miracle, I organize the details into chapter summaries. Sometimes, I use tons of sticky notes, which help me keep my timeline organized, and plaster them all over my office. Again, a mess that makes total sense to me! Of course, all of this will be tweaked, adjusted, shuffled, torn apart as I write, until I’m satisfied that this is the very best I can do.

Is there an author or book that influenced you or your writing in any way growing up or as an adult?

I’d have to say plenty of romantic suspense writers made an impact, especially Mary Stewart. I wanted to write stories with that kind of suspense, romance, and mystery. Stories that take readers away to places they’d enjoy visiting, to meet those characters, maybe fall in love with them.  

I know authors get asked this a lot but do you have any advice that you would give to aspiring writers?

Do your homework. In other words, write that first book, then set it aside and write a second, maybe a third, before you decide to put it out there. However, you may want to read some books on writing beforehand. My faves include Stephen King’s ON WRITING and James Scott Bell’s series of books which focus on each of the elements of novels – plot, characters, narration, dialog, etc. When you decide to get your precious babies published, whether you choose to go directly to submitting to publishers or to find an agent, again, do your homework. Learn to write a query letter, research those you want to query, prepare well.

Can you tell us, in your own words not the book description, a little about your book?

Lilly Millenovanovich and family are inspired by my mom and aunts. Being very ethnic – plenty of Serbian cooking and baking and lots of gatherings to celebrate and eat – gave me plenty of fodder to work with. The town of Barton is a close description of my hometown; the three aunts are somewhat similar to my mom’s sisters, though none of them are as risqué as Fran. Jake reminds me of my brother the cop, and Lilly? She’s one of a kind!  

Are you working on anything at the moment?

Currently, I’m working on acquiring an agent for my Con Artist Series, light crime capers with plenty of cons, heists, adventure, and a touch of mystery. Think THE HEIST SOCIETY or FOX AND O’HARE. Hopefully, things will happen soon.

Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?

To all the readers, thank you! Sometimes, or should I say most times, writing is such a solitary thing that it’s easy to feel lonely and wonder if anyone really cares about the stories I create. But when I get a kind note or review from someone who enjoyed reading my work, letting me know what they felt, how it affected them, then it’s worth it. THAT, wonderful readers, is true validation of what I do.

Random Quickies!

Pepsi or coke? – Iced tea!

Favorite kind of chocolate? – Hershey Kisses with nuts

Cats or dogs? - Dogs

Hardback/Paperback or eReader? – It’s a tie – I alternate PB and eReader

Do you own a laptop or desktop computer? laptop

What book are you reading today?

Just finished STILLHOUSE LAKE by Rachel Caine. Highly recommend this thriller.

Have you ever been out of the state where you live?

Yes. I’ve been to most of the eastern states and the southwest. Once or twice to Canada, but never across the ocean. 

About the Author

Kathryn Long’s passion is writing mysteries, creating the intricate details and weaving them together into the clues which the reader will enjoy collecting to solve the crime. Many of her works include Native American elements and hints of the paranormal. She loves a scary ghost story!

Her writing inspiration began with reading about Nancy Drew and the heroines of romantic suspense authors such as Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart. Her first creations were short stories meant to entertain anyone who’d listen or read. Playing the guitar led to song lyrics, which she insists taught her the rhythm and pace of writing prose.

Writing took a serious turn several years ago when she had her first book published. To date readers can find her self-published cozy Lilly M Mysteries, and her traditionally published work: paranormal mystery, Dying to Dream, and latest, a romantic suspense, A Deadly Deed Grows at online retailers and in bookstores.

When writing and the creative muse take a break, this author loves to travel, watch Castle, and of course, read mysteries. Oh, and there’s always an author event or two she will attend in order to – you got it – talk about mystery. Kathryn lives in the City of Green located in northeast Ohio with her husband and little pooch, Max. 

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter @klongauthor

Blog

Pinterest

Goodreads

Interview & #Giveaway with Susan Clayton-Goldner, author of Redemption Lake

Holly: Hi! Would you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Susan Clayton-Goldner: I’m a woman, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and a writer. I grew up with four brothers on the banks of the Delaware River in a little town called, New Castle, Delaware. I have also lived in Virginia, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Arizona and now Oregon. I have two children and I returned to college (having completed two years at the University of Delaware) when my youngest child entered first grade. I got a degree in Creative Writing and enrolled in their MFA program, completing the course work before we moved to Oregon.  I continue to do workshops and take classes, mostly in poetry or fiction. When I’m not writing, I enjoy making stained glass windows and quilts. In some ways they are similar—except I’m telling stories with fabric and glass instead of words.

Holly: Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?

Susan Clayton-Goldner: I have an enormous amount of gratitude to my readers. Before I had a book published, I had no idea how much it would mean to me to have a reader write a review or send me an e-mail about what the book meant to them—how they’d stayed up all night reading. Or how they’d needed a box of tissues. Or how they’d learned something about love or forgiveness. When I started getting reviews on Amazon for my first book, A Bend In The Willow, I would cry whenever I read a good one. My husband would come into the room find me like that and ask, “who died?” Knowing a reader enjoyed the book means so much more to me than any money I make (probably a good thing, ha)

Holly: Do you write an outline before starting a book or just write?

Susan Clayton-Goldner: I often write a step sheet—which is a brief summary of the scenes I want to include (one or two sentences) Recently I started writing a document called “What I Know About My Story.”  I write down everything I know about each character, their backstory, what they love, what they hate. I include ideas for scenes, a brief synopsis. I include their character growth—how they will change as a result of the events of the story. It is a document that grows with the story. I keep adding to it as I write and make new discoveries.

Holly: Is there an author or book that influenced you or your writing in any way growing up or as an adult?

Susan Clayton-Goldner: Of all the books I read as a child, I was most influenced by To Kill A Mockingbird. I think it was the character Atticus Finch. He was so amazing, so larger-than-life, so good. He was a man with integrity who fought with everything he had for a man he knew he couldn’t save—no matter how hard he tired. But he had to try. He was a true hero. And reading about him made me want to create larger-than-life characters, too. 

Holly: I know authors get asked this a lot but do you have any advice that you would give to aspiring writers?

Susan Clayton-Goldner: Write the very best book you can write. Hire an editor. Don’t rely on friends and your mother to tell you the truth. Rewrite. And then start sending it out. If you get a rejection, and the editor or agent offers advice, take it.  If not, send it to someone else. Don’t give up. Tenacity is the best gift a writer can have.

Holly: Can you tell us, in your own words not the book description, a little about your book?

Susan Clayton-Goldner: Redemption Lake is the story of Matthew Garrison, an eighteen year-old boy who is carrying a load of guilt about the drowning death of his cousin when they were both twelve. He makes a scene at his mother’s remarriage, then gets drunk with his best friend’s mother. They end up having sex. Both of them are appalled by what they’ve done. She takes his keys and insists that Matt sleep before driving. When he awakens, she is dead in a bathtub of blood. Matt doesn’t know if she killed herself because of what they’d done, or if someone killed her. He only knows he must protect his friend. He has to intercept Travis and prevent him from seeing his mother like this.

I won’t say anymore for fear of spoiling the plot.

Holly: Where can we purchase this book?

Susan Clayton-Goldner: It can be purchased in many places. I’ve included some links to buy:

Barnes & Noble – Redemption Lake: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/redemption-lake-susan-clayton-goldner/1126040153?ean=2940154076378

Amazon – Redemption Lake: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XSSNYDG/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490293547&sr=1-3&keywords=Susan+Clayton-Goldner

Kobo – Redemption Lake     https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/redemption-lake-2

Smashwords – Redemption Lake  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/713414

Holly: Can we expect more novels from you in 2017?

Susan Clayton-Goldner: The second book in the Radhauser series, When Time Is A River, will be released in the fall of 2017

Holly: Are you working on anything at the moment?

Susan Clayton-Goldner: I’m currently working on the 3rd novel in the Radhauser series entitled, River of Silence. With any luck, it will be released early in 2018.

Random Quickies!

Holly: Pepsi or coke?

Susan Clayton-Goldner: Neither

Holly: Favorite kind of chocolate? 

Susan Clayton-Goldner: milk

Holly: Cats or dogs? 

Susan Clayton-Goldner: Cats

Holly: Favorite book to movie? 

Susan Clayton-Goldner: To Kill A Mockingbird

Holly: Hardback/Paperback or eReader? 

Susan Clayton-Goldner: E-reader

Holly: Why do you like eReaders more?

Susan Clayton-Goldner: It surprised me to discover how much I enjoy reading on my I-pad. We have a library in our house, filled with traditional books. I never thought I’d adjust to e-books, but turns out I now prefer them. I like being able to adjust the font size. I love the fact that it is backlit and I can read in bed without disturbing my husband. And I also love it that I can carry hundreds of books with me without having to add another suitcase when I travel.

Holly: How many paperback/hardcover books do you own? 

Susan Clayton-Goldner: Probably 1,000 or more

Holly: Right now in your line of site, how many books can you see? 

Susan Clayton-Goldner: I’m sitting in the livingroom, facing the library, so I can see hundreds of books.

Holly: Do you own a laptop or desktop computer? 

Susan Clayton-Goldner: I have both. But I prefer to write on my Macbook Pro.

Mystery

Date Published: May 17, 2017

Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing

Tucson, Arizona – Eighteen-year-old Matt Garrison is harboring two terrible secrets: his involvement in the drowning death of his 12-year-old cousin, and a night of drunken sex with his best friend’s mother, Crystal, whom he finds dead the following morning. Guilt forces Matt to act on impulse and hide his involvement with Crystal. 

Detective Winston Radhauser knows Matt is hiding something. But as the investigation progresses, Radhauser’s attention is focused on Matt’s father. Matt’s world closes in when his dad is arrested for Crystal’s murder and Travis breaks off their friendship. Despite his father’s guilty plea, Matt knows his dad is innocent and only trying to protect his son. Devastated and bent on self-destruction, Matt heads for the lake where his cousin died—the only place he believes can truly free him. Are some secrets better left buried?

            Redemption Lake is a novel of love and betrayal. It’s about truth and lies, friendship and redemption, about assuming responsibility, and the risks a father and son will take to protect each other. 

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Excerpt: 

For the next hour and a half, he drifted in and out of sleep. Cradled by the night sounds of the desert outside the open window, each time a memory emerged, his thoughts thickened and folded back into sleep. At one point he heard water running for a bath. A little later, he heard a car outside. Oh God, please don’t let it be Travis. He stumbled to the window and opened the curtains. In the street, two long rectangular taillights moved away, turning south onto Oracle Road.

Matt leaned against the wall, staring at the sunflower sheets on Crystal’s bed. The same bed he and Travis had jumped up and down on when they were eight. The digital clock read 10:38 p.m. His head throbbed. He needed to close his eyes. Crystal would wake him in time to leave before Travis got home. He fell back onto the bed.

When he woke up again, the room was very dark. He wore only his boxers and a white T-shirt his mother had insisted upon—claiming his usual dark one would show through his tuxedo shirt. As if the color of his T-shirt could ruin her perfect wedding. But he’d been ingenious and found another way to ruin things for his mother. He turned toward the empty space beside him. It took a few moments for him to realize where he was. He closed his eyes, shook his aching head to clear it. Crystal was his best friend’s mother. What the hell was he doing in her bed?

He thought he heard the sound of the front door open, then close again. Oh God, please don’t let it be Travis. His eyes adjusted to the darkness. One event at a time, he remembered everything.

Fully awake now, he shot from the bed, rocking for a few seconds before he achieved balance, then hurried to the window. The moon hung over the mountaintop, its light silver and unforgiving. Crystal’s driveway was empty. Whoever he’d heard, it wasn’t Travis. On the other side of the street, an engine started. This time the taillights were round. Definitely not Crystal’s Escort. The car turned north on Oracle Road.

Matt let out the breath he’d been holding and glanced at the digital clock—its red letters told him it was 11:20 p.m. He needed to get dressed and leave. The dance ended in forty minutes and Travis would head home. He grabbed his tuxedo pants and shirt from the chair. His hands shook so hard he could barely work the fly and the button on his trousers. He slipped into his shirt, then sat on the edge of the bed. As if he had the flu, his head throbbed and his stomach felt queasy.

He rushed down the hallway toward the bathroom. And when he did, he saw the puddle of blood on the floor beside the bathtub.

He hurried across the room, jerked open the pale green shower curtain.

Crystal lay naked in a bathtub filled with blood-colored water. Her hair, her beautiful blonde curls, had been chopped off, shorter in some places than others, as if a small child had done it. Some of the curls were floating on top of the water.

For a strange moment, everything remained calm and slow.

Her head was propped against one of those blow-up pillows attached to the back of the tub with suction cups. The tint of her skin was pale and slightly blue. Crystal’s eyes were open and staring straight ahead—looking at something he couldn’t see. Blood splattered the white tiles that surrounded the tub. It dripped down them like wet paint. One of her hands flopped over the side of the tub. A single thick drop fell from her index finger into the crimson pond congealing on the linoleum floor. It covered her neck and shoulders. Tiny bubbles of frothy blood still oozed from the gash in her neck.

An empty Smirnoff bottle sat in a puddle of blood on the tub’s rim beside a straight-edged razor blade.

The bathroom was so quiet. Nothing but the sound of his own breathing. He clenched and unclenched his hands. His body grew numb. “Oh no. Oh God, no,” he said, the words thickening in the air in front of him. His head filled with strange sounds—the drone of insects humming, violinists tuning their strings. “What have I done?”

The contents of his stomach rose. He crouched in front of the toilet and heaved until nothing more came up. Then he started to rock, back and forth, muttering what he already knew was a useless prayer. Please, just let her be okay. He said it over and over like an unstoppable mantra. If only he could keep saying the words, maybe he could reverse this unthinkable thing.

Maybe she was still alive. He straightened up and stepped over to the bathtub to check Crystal’s neck for a pulse. As he bent closer, he smelled the metallic scent of her blood as it mixed with her perfume and the stale, metabolized smell of alcohol seeping through her skin. He placed two fingers on her neck, searching for her carotid and pressed. His fingers slipped into the gaping hole. It felt wet and warm. He screamed and jerked them out. They were covered in blood.

He swiped his hand on the front of his shirt, then checked the other side of her neck for a pulse. Please, just let her be okay. Nothing. He shook her by the shoulders, then tried again. Still no pulse. At that moment, he stopped his mantra.

Though he knew she was dead, he held her hand—soft and still warm. It belonged to Crystal, who’d taught him to line dance, who liked hot buttered popcorn with cheddar cheese grated on top. Crystal, who was sometimes irresponsible and drank way too much. Crystal, who’d cheered for him at bat in Little League, cheered just as loud as she had for her own son. Crystal, who’d always be sitting in a bathtub of blood. “I’m sorry.” He squeezed her hand, then let go. “And I swear to you, Travis will never know what happened between us.”

Struggling to his feet, he headed for the kitchen phone to call 911. Halfway to the bathroom door, he stopped. Blood smeared the front of his white shirt. And there was still blood on both his hands, drying beneath his fingernails. His body was slick with fear. He smelled it, tasted it, and felt it coming out of his pores like sweat. His mind told him to call the police, to tell the truth. His heart told him to keep his promise to Crystal. It was the last thing she’d ever ask of him.

He dropped his chin and stared at his shirt. Holy shit. If anyone saw him like this, they’d think he’d killed Crystal. The thought stopped him. Had he? Was he capable of doing something so heinous?

The bubble of panic in his throat got bigger. He hurried across the bathroom to wash his hands. There were more clumps of hair in the sink and a hardened blue streak of toothpaste. He used toilet paper to pick up the hair clumps and dropped them into the trashcan. Looking at the uncapped tube beside Crystal’s toothbrush, he felt as if something had been cut out of his chest.

He grabbed the sides of the sink, stared at himself in the mirror. The face staring back resembled no one he’d ever seen before. Was it the face of a murderer? Had he just pushed someone else to her death? He shook his head—breathing in short gasps, like a swimmer gearing up for a plunge. His lungs burned as if he were being swept away by a strong current.

When the memory of his cousin’s death surfaced, as it often did, Matt used his fists to hammer the stranger’s face he saw reflected in the medicine cabinet. The mirror fractured, sending out long cracks in every direction. The face split into interlocking parts like an abstract puzzle. One jagged sliver fell into the sink, breaking in half. It left a black and empty space in what had once been the mirror.

He held onto the sides of the sink again and rocked slowly in front of it, still staring at the blood on his hands and under his fingernails. “You’re all right,” he said, but could barely hear the words, the sounds inside his head were so loud.

In his mind he saw himself letting go of the sink and getting as far away from this nightmare as possible. But it would destroy Travis to come home and find his mother like this. Matt had to intercept him.

He washed his hands, then rinsed the blood from the sides and bowl of the sink, recapped the toothpaste and tucked it into the medicine cabinet. He wrapped the shards of mirror in toilet tissue, careful to avoid getting his fingerprints on the glass, and placed them in the trashcan, jagged sides down. There were no towels in the bathroom, so he wiped his wet hands on his pant legs. Panic rolled in, sucked him under.

What should he do? Call the police? His father? 911? If he did, there’d be a recording of his voice and he’d have a lot of explaining to do. The police often suspected 911 callers. They might take his DNA. What if they found semen inside of Crystal? What if they matched it to Matt’s DNA? If that happened, they’d know. It would be in the newspapers. It would hurt Travis. He couldn’t let that happen.

He hurried back into Crystal’s bedroom. Hands shaking, he sat on the edge of her bed and put on his socks and shoes. Then, as if he were someone else, running through an obstacle course, he went into the kitchen and gathered the empty beer bottles. He took them out into the garage and carefully placed them in their cardboard carriers. Next he wiped the kitchen table, closed the open drawers, loaded the dishwasher, emptied the ashtrays, then made Crystal’s bed with fresh sheets. He tossed the sunflower sheets into the washing machine and started the cycle, careful to wipe his prints from the lid and dial. With the same cloth, he wiped down the edge of the plastic shower curtain, then pulled it closed—the way he’d found it. For the most part, his fingerprints were easily explained. He’d spent almost as much time in Travis’ house as his own.

Matt stood in front of the coffee table. He heard the candles guttering, smelled the wax melting. He blew them out, then picked up the clothes Crystal had discarded in the hallway beside the bathroom door. Folding them neatly, he then placed them on the chair beside her window. He grabbed her red cowboy boots from the living room and set them beneath the chair. It was the least he could do for Travis.

The clock on the stove read 11:45 p.m. The Narrow Way didn’t allow opposite sex teenagers to spend unsupervised time together. Jennifer’s parents would pick her up from the dance. That meant Travis would be leaving for home soon.

If Matt hurried, he could intercept him, convince him to spend the night with Matt and his dad. He raced into Travis’ bedroom, jerked open the drawer where he kept his T-shirts. Surely he had a plain black or a dark blue one somewhere. Matt lifted the stacks of folded shirts until he found one, then ripped off the tuxedo and stained T-shirt, slipped Travis’ shirt over his head, then grabbed his jacket from the kitchen chair and hurried outside.

On the back deck, insects clustered around the light fixture, high-pitched, insistent and frantic. The sound reminded him of Crystal’s voice when she’d pleaded with him not to tell Travis. Why hadn’t he agreed?

In the carport, Matt unlocked the trunk of his Mustang, a restored nineteen sixty-seven Grande that had been his mom’s first car, and dropped both the jacket and the bloodstained shirt inside. Silence ballooned into the night air around him, a strange silence with a ticking heartbeat. Then he remembered the cufflinks. Crystal had tucked them into his shirt pocket. He checked. They weren’t there. He plunged his hands into his pants pockets and then the tuxedo jacket. No cufflinks. He didn’t have time to go back inside. He had to stop Travis from coming home.

When he climbed into the front seat, he looked out through the windshield, but the dome light inside the car and the darkness outside had changed the glass into a mirror. He turned away. His face was the last thing he wanted to see.

About the Author

Susan Clayton-Goldner was born in New Castle, Delaware and grew up with four brothers along the banks of the Delaware River. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona's Creative Writing Program and has been writing most of her life. Her novels have been finalists for The Hemingway Award, the Heeken Foundation Fellowship, the Writers Foundation and the Publishing On-line Contest. Susan won the National Writers' Association Novel Award twice for her novels and her poetry was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Her work has appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies including Animals as Teachers and Healers, published by Ballantine Books, Our Mothers/Ourselves, by the Greenwood Publishing Group, The Hawaii Pacific Review-Best of a Decade, and New Millennium Writings. A collection of her poems, A Question of Mortality was released in 2014 by Wellstone Press. Her novel, A Bend In The Willow, was published in January 2017. Redemption Lake, the first in a 3-book detective series, will be released May 17, 2017. Prior to writing full time, Susan worked as the Director of Corporate Relations for University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona. 

Susan shares a life in Grants Pass, Oregon with her husband, Andreas, her fictional characters, and more books than one person could count. In her spare time, Susan likes to make quilts and stained glass windows. She says it is a little bit like writing, telling stories with fabric and glass.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Goodreads

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Best Seller by Dina Rae #mystery @haloofthedamned

I honestly believe that The Best Seller is a “best seller” and will enter the book world at warp speed. Nancy Allen, The Avid Reader, Book Review 5 Stars

Cannot wait for the sequel! Mike Tosto, 5 Stars

The Best Seller is plot driven with a thrilling story line that will keep readers turning pages until the final climax. Michael Thal, Author, 4 Stars

This is a great story. I was instantly caught up by the aliens and Doctor Jaeger. Bonder Reviews, 5 Stars

The Best Seller
Book 1 of 2
Dina Rae
Solstice Publishing, May 31^st, 2016

Book Description:

When Maya Smock writes her first novel, everything seems to go her way. Her book practically writes itself. She marries her gorgeous agent. Her name is on all of the best seller lists. Billionaire author Jay McCallister takes an interest in her meteoric rise to fame and invites her into his world of alien-believing celebrities. Her life changes forever when he tells her that they were both created inside of a laboratory. These authors are embedding an alien genetic code within the pages of their novels that originated from Nazi Germany because…

The time has come. They are here.

Purchase: Amazon | 

http://dinaraeswritestuff.blogspot.com/

@HalooftheDamned

FB: https://www.facebook.com/DinaRaeBooks/

About the Author:

Dina Rae brings an academic element to her novels by weaving research and history throughout the stories. Big Pharma, Big Agri, Big Conspiracy is Dina's first nonfiction work.
Dina lives with her husband, two daughters, and dog outside of Dallas. She is a Christian, avid tennis player, movie buff, teacher, and self-proclaimed expert on several conspiracy theories. She has been interviewed numerous times in e-zines, websites, blogs, newspapers, and syndicated radio programs. When she is not writing she is reading novels from her favorite authors Dan Brown, Stephen King, Brad Thor, and George R.R. Martin. She also enjoys reading about religion, UFOs, New World Order, government conspiracies, political intrigue, and other cultures. The Best Seller, her newest sci-fi novel, is released by Solstice Publishing.

@haloofthedamned
Blog: http://www.dinaraeswritestuff.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30286767-the-best-seller

Trailers:

The Best Seller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQER8wJmaf8
The Last Degree: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkbg6Yy8UKU
Halo of the Damned: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p89LXZNxOs